Dear Reader,

There are only a few days left in our Spring Member Drive. If you can, I hope you’ll make a contribution. Today, it will be doubled to support the work of my colleagues.

I have the joy of editing our politics and policy team, overseeing our two statehouse reporters, our education and health care reporters and our wealth, poverty and economic inequality reporter. Together, we figure out how state government and the Legislature are impacting Vermonters’ lives. Then, we fan out across the state to document the impact of those decisions made in Montpelier.

You can help us pursue the facts and hold leaders accountable by making a spring donation by Saturday, April 4. 

Reporting is not easy, and it takes time and money to go deep. But it matters. Like when Olivia Gieger, VTDigger’s health care reporter, wrote about the strange bureaucracy that leaves rural patients paying more for medical care than patients in Burlington. Or when economy reporter Theo Wells-Spackman documented the persistent challenges child care businesses across the state face in recruiting employees, and the Legislature’s struggle to address the problem.

As an editor, I help reporters map out their reporting plans and whittle down the facts in their notebooks into compelling stories. That can take weeks as we figure out who else to talk to, which documents we need and what we may be overlooking. All the while, we work to cover the day’s breaking news.

It’s a job I love, but we need your support to keep going. Our membership team has informed me that all gifts will be matched today by a Vermont donor to help us reach our spring goal.

Thank you for your support. We have so much more to do.

Sincerely,

Ethan Weinstein

Statehouse bureau chief, VTDigger